Adjustable support



B. C. MERIWETHER Aug. 28, 195.1

' ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT Filed July 1, 1948 Patented Aug. 28, 19 51 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT Bertie C. 'Meriwether, New York, N. '1. Application July 1, 1948, Serial No. 36,317

1 Claim.

This invention is an adjustable support adapted for universal use wherever a support for almost any use .is required, of apersonal nature or otherwise. 'It may be used in the home, but it is particularly adapted for use by travelers to provide .them with the convenience of a support posi-x tioned exactly as desired.

There has always been a need for a lightweight, easily carried, adjustable support. However, the public .has been denied the great convenience which may sometimes be an actual necessity, of a handy support, of the character described, largely because of merchandising problems. That is to say, no manufacturer will go into this field without being assured that the device will sell so as to produce at least the minimum profit demanded .by business economics.

Such practical considerations have demanded the design of such aproduct in a form permitting its economical manufacture, which is adapted to be incorporated into a merchandising package of adequate attractiveness to appeal to the public, and which has sufiicient merit to induce the public to purchase it in large quantities.

Heretofore, the prior art has been unable 'to cop with these requirements. Such adjustable supports, as have been designed for the described purpose, have been so complicated as to prohibit mass production at a low cost, or they have not been adapted to attractive packaging for merchandising purposes, or they have not possessed adequate merit to induc the public to use them.

With the foregoing in mind, the object of the present inventress, in producing the invention disclosed .hereinbelow, was to provide the public with an adjustable support, particularly adapted for travelers but also having general usefulness, which adequately meets the requirement for success which have been outlined hereinabove.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention, in what is at present considered its very best form, the various figures being as follows:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the deviceshowing it in one form it may take for attractive packaging, during its merchandising, or for convenient storage or transportation by the ultimate user;

Fig. 2 is an edge view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 isan edge view of the device unfolded and ready for use;

Fig. 4 is a side view of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 provides an example of how the device is adapted for use.

The device, as illustrated by these drawings, comprises two identical hooks I, each made of round cold-drawn metal wire, preferably plain,

low-carbon steel Wire, that is finished colddrawn sufficiently to temper it. Each hook is made with a flaring throat, provided by an outwardly 'bent end portion '2, a looped main portion 3, and a .neck 4 that terminates with an attachment loop 5 arranged in the same plane as the looped main portion 3 of the hook. In each instance, the attachment loop 5 has a straight end bar 6 extending an equal distance from both sides of the neck 4 and substantially at right angles thereto. Also, the neck 4 is in aligmnent with the center of the looped main portion 3 and substantially in line with the center of gravity of the hook longitudinally the latter.

According to the invention, the "various bend portions of the wire, forming the above described hoo'k parts, contains cold strain increasing the temper of the wire above it previously described cold-drawn temper, at these bend portions. 'This cold strain may be imparted by forming the bends by cold working the wire. In other words the bends should be formed with the wire at temperatures safely below the recrystalization temperature of the particular metal used; in the case of the type of steel described, this Would be somewhere below about 1450" F.

Furthermore, the Wire should preferably carry a metallic coating, unillustrated because it is practically impossible so to do. Coatings of nickel or chromium are preferred. Multiple, dissimilar metal coatings may be used if required to provide a finished surface of the preferred coating. If great economy is desired, the wire may carry a coating of tin, or copper and tin, as exemplified by what the steel wire industry refers to as liquor finished wire. In all events, the metallic coating should be polished to a specular finish. The result is a very shiny product with its polished surface reducing the sliding friction of the wire with other materials. This has great advantage in the constant rubbing of the curved parts of the hook, either against the parts of the package during its handling incidental to merchandising, or against other objects, particularly wearing apparel. Also, during the time the device is carried by the user, in a suitcase, for example, it does not cause, at any time, undue Wear of the parts rubbed by the hooks. Furthermore, there is the great advantage that the hooks may be applied to almost any object without marring or wearing the object engaged. This is of great value when the device is used in railroad trains, buses or boats, where there is constant motion.

The attachment loops 5, of the hooks l, are

interjoined by a-length of flexible web I. This web is made of woven fibrous material, a good grade of strong cotton web fabric being preferred, and this web has a width substantially equaling that of the straight bars 6 of the attachment loops 5. The ends of this web I are bent around the bars 6, with the hooks i both pointing in the same direction, the web end portions being doubled on the web itself.

Flat, stamped metal devices 8, of which there are two, each provide three, mutually parallel flat bars 9, l and ii, and in each instance the web and its end doubled thereon provides two layers which are bent together to pass on one side of the two outer bars, numbered 9 and II, and on the other or opposite side of the intermediate bar it). Each device -8 is about as wide as the hooks attachment loops 5, with the working bars 9, Hi and H being just sufiiciently long to accommodate the width of the web '7. The devices 8 may be stamped from flat sheet metal, and. may be coated or not, a factor depending largely on the appearance desired. Even if coated with metal and highly polished, the various bars of the devices 8 firmly lock the doubled web portions together against relative longitudinal movement, due to the sharp corners provided by the bars. Particular attention is called to the fact that the design of the devices :8 does not materially affect the overall contour of the web '5, while providing for adjustably holding the doubled web portions together.

The radius of curvature, of the hooks looped main portions 3, are, in each instance, corelated respecting the lengths of the attachment loops and bars 6, the width of the web '1 and the overall lengths of the devices 8, so that when the two hooks are superimposed the web 1 may be centrally wrapped longitudinally around them, as illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2, without the thus stored web being circumferentially forced from the hooks looped main portions 3, by wedging resulting from incidental tensioning of the web 1 when so wrapped. This is an important point in connection with the merchandising and storage of the device. In packaging the device the web I, the two hooks being superimposed, may be wrapped around the hooks neatly and snugly without the web loops easily slipping circumferentially from the hooks, even though the web loops be tautened for compactness and attractive appearance. The user obtains the same advantage when storing the support away.

In some instances it might be preferred to merely loop the web parallel to one side of the superimposed hooks, and the described construction has the advantage, in this instance, that the ends of the web loops blend with the curved looped main portions 3, of the hooks, to produce an attractive visual effect. Of course, in this instance, the web I may be folded so that its folds, remote from the attachment loops 5, are flush or nearly so with the outer circumference of the looped main portions 3.

The advantages of the polished surfaces of the two hooks have already been described. However, it has been found that the described effects are disadvantageous in the case of the attachment loops 5. A certain amount of controlled friction between the bars 6 and the Web 1 is advantageous in facilitating the folding of the web I in the manner previously described. Furthermore, some friction between these parts is advantageous in controlling the vibration motion, when the device is in use and working i 4 a pendulum. This effect is observable when the support is used in railroad trains and boats, in particular. As a matter of fact, a compounded vibratory motion is sometimes produced which may actually cause the hooks to disengage from engaged objects.

It has been discovered that the above undesirable efiects can be very largely reduced, and completely eliminated under some circumstances, by the coating the attachment loops 5 with nonmetallic material adapted to at least slightly increase the sliding friction between the end bars 6 and the web I bent therearound. Enamel or lacquer has been found suitable for this purpose, and the coating may be applied directly over the polished metallic coating, on the wire, should this result in more economical manufacturing practices. Otherwise, the metallic coating on the wire may be discontinued, with the non-metallic coating applied directly to the uncoated wire. In any event, it has been found that almost any nonmetallic coating reduces undesirable oscillation at right angles to the plane of the tape 1, which is in the direction it has been found to occur with the most annoying efiects. They, also, can be reduced somewhat by eliminating the polished coating from the balance of-the hooks, but in that event the advantages attained by the use of this polished, metallic coating are lost.

Thus it can be seen that the two coatings work in cooperation. The polished coating produces the new and unexpected results described, but introduces the undesirable effects mentioned, the use of the non-metallic coating then going a long way toward curing these undesirable features.

Little trouble is experienced with the annoying vibratory actions in directions parallel the plane of the web I, the structural shape provided in this direction, by the web, apparently having a damping action. Obviously, the bars of the hooks should be free from any non-metallic coating increasing the natural friction between the wire and other objects.

The device is shown, as it appears ready for use, by Fig. 5. This figure may symbolize the bath tub portion of a conventional guest room, which,

for reasons known only to architects, are normally designed completely free from any type of support. The top hook is engaging the shower bath curtain rod. These rods are usually highly finished and home owners get very annoyed if they are marred. Such marring is impossible due to the polished metallic coating on the looped portion 3, of the hook engaging the rod. The adjustment devices 8 have been used in Fig. 5 to pro vide the lower hook 3 with its position of lowest level. This is because it is desired to illustrate how the device may be used by the bather as a support in getting in and out of the tub. The device 8 can be adjusted to give the low hook a much higher level so it can be used for supporting a bathrobe, for example. Such a higher position is of great advantage if the lower hook is used to support equipment used for feminine hygiene purposes. This is of great advantage because the support of this type of equipment, and this is sometimes required quickly, is very difiicult to find in unfamiliar surroundings.

If the illustrated bathroom, of Fig. 5, is assumed to be that of a seagoing vessel, it becomes immediately apparent that the bars Got the attachment loops 5 provide two points of pivoting introducing the possibility of compounded vibration efiects induced by the vibl'atlon of the propulsion motors. Swinging transversely of the shower curtain rod, results in a simple periodic motion, with the device acting like a pendulum, this causing little trouble or annoyance. However, the non-metallic coatings on the bars 5, the coatings, incidentally, being generally indicated by their terminating lines So; come into play to dampen out compounded vibratory effects working transversely of the web, the result then being also a simple pendulum motion transversely of the device and in line with the shower curtain rod. Even under such conditions the shower curtain rod is not damaged by undue frictional wear. This is due to the polished non-metallic coatings, and, what is more important, any object hanging on the lower hook is similarly protected. The flaring throats of the two hooks are of great importance in permitting quick application of the hooks to almost any type of object. This is of great importance when the device must be used in a hurry, or when used in trains or boats where the motion makes the user unsteady. Should any undue strain be placed on the hooks, their high elastic limit, imparted by the use of the colddrawn tempered wire and, particularly, by the cold work strain further introduced at the bends, permits considerable spring action without permanent or plastic deformation of the metal wire. The round shape of the wire and the general symmetrical shape of the hooks, further contributes toward preventing the hooks from being per manently deformed, by preventing stress concen trations which might load one of the hooks locally beyond even its relatively high elastic limit. There is little chance for the tape '3 to break, since its entire width is loaded uniformly on each hook by the uniform force distribution resulting from the web being looped around the flat bars 6. The fact that both hooks point in the same direction is of great advantage to the user and is, in addition, a safety feature. Since the lower hook is normally used pointing outwardly, the user tends to hook the top hook by a rearward action. Thus, in the case of the use illustrated by Fig. 5, should the user miss the curtain rod the user only staggers backward a little, but with the hook pointed in the opposite direction, the user would be using a forward motion and, should the curtain rod be missed, would fall into the bathtub. However, the flared mouth oi the hooks contributes greatly toward preventing misses.

Since the entire device lies flatly in one plane, it may be very compactly folded for merchandising or transportation, a point which has been previously suggested. However, it should further be noted that, due to the hooks pointing, in the same direction, the hooks may be superimposed exactly in register with each other. This is important from the merchandising angle, since it will induce the public to buy the device in large quantities, due to the very attractive merchandise package thusly made possible. The sale of the device in large quantities, in turn, benefits the public since it permits the device to be made at a price that will be attractive to the public. Expensive devices are useless since it has been discovered that the public will put up with inconvenience, sometimes leading to dangerous situations, in preference to purchasing such devices. The foregoing shows that this inventress has successfully attained her objective. The device meets all the requirements outlined at the beginning. Studies have been made of its commercial possibilities, and these have been found very attractive. For the first time a device, of the character described, has been made a practical thing, potentially presenting the public with great advantages.

Iclaimr An adjustable support comprising two identical hooks each made of round cold-drawn metal wire with a flaring throat, a looped main portion and a neck that terminates with an attachment loop arranged in the same plane as said looped main portion of the hook, said attachment loop having a straight end bar extending equidistantly from both sides. of said neck substantially at right angles thereto and said neck being in alignment with the center of said looped main portion and substantially in line with the center of gravity of said hook longitudinally thereof, the bend portions of said wire forming said hook parts containing cold strain increasing the temper of said wire at said portions and said wire carrying a metallic coating polished to reduce its sliding friction with other materials, the attachment loops of said hooks being interjoined by a length of flexible web of woven fibrous material having a width substantially equaling that of said straight bars of said attachment loops, with its ends bent around said bars and with said hooks both pointing in the same direction, and with said webs ends doubled on itself, said length of web having fiat stamped metal devices providing three mutually parallel flat bars, and said web and said ends doubled thereon being bent together to pass on one side of the two outer ones of said bars and on the other side of the intermediate one thereof, in each instance, said devices being about as wide as said hooks attachment loops, whereby said devices provide for adjustably holding said doubled web portions without materially affecting the overall contour of said web, the radius of curvature of said hooks looped main portions being correlated respecting the lengths of said attachment loop end bars, the width of said web and the lengths of said devices, so that when said hooks are superimposed said web may be centrally wrapped longitudinally therearound for storage of said web without the thus stored web being circumferentially forced from said hooks looped main portions by wedging resulting from incidental tensioning of said web so wrapped, said attachment loops of said hooks being coated with non-metallic material adapted to at least slightly increase the sliding friction between their said end bars and said web bent therearound, with the balance of said hooks free from said non-metallic coating, whereby said throat and main loop portions of said hooks have easier sliding action with contacting elements, due to exposure of said metallic coating thereon.

BERTIE C. MERIWETHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 800,794 Connell Oct. 3, 1905 1,457,631 Stockham June 5, 1923 

